My guess is that as a leader, you hate it when your team messes up.
Who doesn’t?
The real test of your leadership and character comes not when your team gets it right but when you or they screw up. Your team will absolutely make mistakes. And so will you.
All the time, I hear people talk about how frustrated they are with their team.
How do you handle that?
I’ve seen way too many leaders throw their team under the bus when they blow it or their team makes mistakes. Why? They want to make themselves look good.
I saw it again recently. A leader I know was going to miss a meeting with me.
In his text, he said, “Sorry. My team messed up my schedule.”
On the one hand, I’m sure that’s true…his team did mess up.
And I felt some empathy for him. I feel the instinct to cover up my mistakes, too. I feel the urge to blame anything or anyone and avoid responsibility as well:
- Nobody told me about that!
- He always forgets that!
- Just so you know, that’s not my fault.
- Wow, I can’t believe she missed that.
- Hey, I’m so busy I don’t get involved in the details, and clearly, my team bungled that.
All of that is natural. And all of that is a mistake. 100% a mistake. My respect for that leader went down that day. His excuse was a classic bad move.
Imagine how his assistant would feel if she read that text.
When you throw your team under the bus, not only do they lose, but so do you. I promise you, leaders, that making others look bad never makes you look good.Making others look bad never makes you look good.Share on X
So, how do you stop throwing people under the bus?
1. Stop Assigning Blame and Admit It Was Your Bad
Do you know what great leaders do when they make a mistake? Or when their team does?
They take responsibility for it.
Here’s what you say if you miss a meeting, no matter who’s fault it is:
“Hey, I am so sorry I missed that we were supposed to meet. That’s my bad.“
I don’t care if your assistant forgot to tell you or if your calendar malfunctioned.
If you’re the leader, you’re responsible.
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of leadership is realizing that while everything may not be your direct fault, it is your responsibility.
So stop assigning blame, stop throwing others under the bus, and start assuming responsibility.
Don’t like assuming that kind of responsibility? That’s easy to fix. Stop being the leader.While everything may not be your direct fault, it is your responsibility. If you’re the leader, you’re responsible.Share on X
2. Reassign the Stupid
I’ve heard more than a few leaders vent about how many stupid mistakes their team makes. I’ve even heard a few leaders call members of their team stupid.
Well, if your team is making stupid mistakes, guess whose fault that is?
Yours. You recruited them.
If your team isn’t performing at the level you want them to, that’s on you. You haven’t led them beyond their current performance. If your team is making stupid mistakes, guess whose fault that is? Yours. You recruited them. Share on X
3. Decide You’ll Cover For Them
In battle, soldiers owe their lives to people who cover for them.
Leadership isn’t that different.
Your job as a leader is to lead and protect your team. Covering for the team is actually what a great leader does instead of throwing them under the bus.
Think about the people who covered for you. My guess is you feel both deeply grateful for them and deeply loyal to them.
Your team will feel the same way about you if you cover for them.
4. Affirm Publicly, Correct Privately
Covering for them doesn’t mean you avoid the issue; it’s far from it.
Instead, affirm your team publicly and then correct it privately. Have an honest conversation. Address the issues that need to be addressed.
Perhaps it’s them. Sometimes, it’s a systems issue…the process you’ve set up doesn’t work anymore. It’s almost a systems issue when your team messes up regularly.
If you want to fix the problem, fix the system.
5. Admit Your Own Mistakes
One of the best ways to get your team to own up to their shortcomings is to admit your own.
While this is hard, the leader should be the first to apologize, the first to admit they blew it, and the first to draw attention to their issues.One of the best ways to get your team to quickly own up to their shortcomings is to admit your own.Share on X
The vulnerability of the team rarely exceeds the vulnerability of the leader.
If you want your team to be more honest, start by being more honest yourself.
And if this is difficult for you (it was and sometimes still is for me), see a good counselor or therapist. Healthy leaders are the best leaders. The vulnerability of the team rarely exceeds the vulnerability of the leader. Share on X
